Combined settling-tank and filter.



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEreE.

DAVID C.`REINOHL, OF WASHINGTON,'DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

COMBINED SETTLING-TANK .AN FILTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec.. 16. 1913.

Applicationled March 7, 1911, Serial No-l 612,951. Renewed May 10, 1912. Serial No. 696,503.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID C. REINOHL, a citizen .of the United VStates, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Settling Tanks and Filters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a' full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the artto which it appertains to make andu'se thesame.

My invention relates primarily to the art of recovering precious metals, such 'as gold, silver and the like, from their ores, by subjecting the ore in a finely comminutedcondition to a solvent, such as cyanid of sodium, cyanid of potassium, or other chemical, for dissolving the metal by contact with the solvent any preferred manner.

The invention is directed toward collecting the values, and subsequently disposing ofthe tailings, has for its 'object economy in time and labor, andthe invention consists in certain improvements in the construit-.tion of settlingr tanks, which will be fully disclosed y in the following specification and claims.

ber'equired must be varied to Aplant.

In the accompanying drawings. which form part of this specilication:-Figure 1 represents a vertical transverse section, partly in elevation, ofa tank embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view taken on line 2-2, Figa` 1. Fig. 3 isa vert-ical transverse section of a modified form of tank, andFig. 4 is a top plan'view ofthe same' partly in section` Reference being had to the drawings and the desiqnatingcharacters thereon, the numeral 1 indicates the body of the tank, preferably cylindrical in form, and. made of wood or metal, and ofa capacity to collect and contain about one-half of the ore and `the solvent used in treating a predetermined quantity of ore. Thus, for a ii'ty ton plant per day, .two tanks of fifty tons capacity will The dimensions of the tank 42 indicates an lannular filter chamber ad- `jacent tothe wall of the tank. and is formed by vertical strips 3 of wood ofl a suitable- *width and thickness, secured to Ysaidxwalls and properly 'spaced apart to prevent the' filtering wall 4 being pressed against the wall of the tank 1. The wall 4 is-preferably made of textile-fabric, such as canvas, drillwhich is subsequently recovered inI Vsluitthe capacity. of the.

ing or the like, Whose interstices render it foraminous and allow the liquid to percolate through 1t,

5 indicates the bottom of-the tank, which is provided with passages 6 for the liquid" from the chamber 2. The bottom 5 is preferably dished or converging as shown in Fig. 1, is supported on an annular sill 7 in the upper end of a preferably conical or hopper-like extension S of the tank; the bottom of the sill being angular or inclined to coincide with the angle of the wall of the extension, to rest thereon without additional support, or it may be provided with brackets 9 suitably spaced apart, when found-necessary. The sill is of less diameter'than the interior of the tank 1 and forms a continuai- Vtipn of the passages 6, and in the lower side the sill are passages 10 for the filtered liquid inthe chamber 2 to pass through to the chamber 1l within the extension.

The foraminous textile wall 4 of the filter, is secured on thebottom'5, by detachable annular segmental wooden cleats 12, which rest upon a lateral extension 13 of the wall, so that said wall can be removed for repairs or renewal as required.4

In the center bottom 5 is a concentrically arranged double drop-valve 14, provided vwith hinges- 15` and supported in 'itsclosed'f' position by said hinges and a horizontal shaft 16 which extends across the top of thev tank and is supported in brackets 17, 1S.-'se cured to the wall of the tank by lag screws, and on the shaft is a hand wheel 19. provided With a ratchet 17,and pawl 18', and cables 19 for raising and lowering said valve 14 as required for discharging the con# tents of the tank. At the lower end of the chamber 11 is a passage 20,` controlled by valve 21. The

valve is supported on hinges 22, and a trans verse' horizontal rod 23, which extends `through the wall ot' the extension and is supported in the ange 24 and bracket 25.

and is withdrawn'for opening the valve, and

re-inserted when the valve is closed. The valve 21 closes against an annular seat 26;

21' indicates a discharge pipe provided with a'stop cock 25 for drawing'the iiltered solvent freighted with values from the chamber 11. and may be connected to a pump for filtering under a vacuum.

The hopper extension 8 terminates in a discharge conduit 27, which may bc extended to any desired length, through which the tailings from the settling tank 1 may be oo nducted to another tank Afor further washing 't/ov recover the values held in the slimes enveloped in the sands, to ay car, a dump. heapl or any otherl point for further treatment or deposit. y

27', 28, and-29, indicate discharge pipes in the wall of"the*.ftank 1,"which extend through the filter chamber 2, are provided with suiif" le plugs 29 at their-"inner ends and with stop-cocksv 3Q, and are designed to decant the clarified solvent abovethe tailings and containing values, and conduct them to theaausual, zinc shaving-boxes, not' shown, inwhich the values are precipitated,

1n a manner .well known to the art.`

t' The botto'm'', is provided at its center withan annular cast-ing having tianges 30 and 31, as shown in Figs. l and 2, and may be provided with a `filter wall 34 of like material as the' wall 4and supported on strips l .of wood 35,' to form filter chambers 36, the

liquid from which passes into the chamber 11, throu,i ;h'a series of openings 37. The filter wall 34 is provided with extensions 38. 39, the former secured by the cleats 12 and the latter by like cleats 40.

The bottom 5 may be supported on an annulardouble flanged bearing 33 provided with passages 33 :for the liquid. In'Figs. 3 and 4, I have shown a modifica-l tion of the ,invention especially adapted to the reconstruction of the present form of tanks to equip them .with thepresent invention, and in which 41 indicates the flat bottom of a tank over which a supplemental' foraminousand4 dished bottom 42 is placed, and the two bottoms are provided with a conoentrically arranged discharge opening 43 cont-rolled by apvalve 44 and provided with a: discharge conduit 45. The valve is pivotally supported on lugs 46, 47 and opens' downward into the conduit as in the former -lnstance.V

The supplemental bottom 42 is supported on an annular sill v7, and the filter walls 4 and 34 are formed of an inner stratum 48 of coarse material, preferably cocoa matting and an outer stratum 49 of textile material such as drilling or the like, in which the interstices are sufficiently fine to produce good filtration.

The bottom 41 is provided with a passage .l' V50 for the filtered solvent to pass through,V

and in all other respects the two constructions are practically the same.

In the operation of my invention,"pulp or pulverized ore and a solvent are conducted into the tank until a pred .tei-mined quantity i h-as been deposited therein, the pulpis then directed into another tank, and the' tailings in the first tank, allowed to settle 'or precipitate while part ot the liquid is passing through the lter chambers 2 md 3G. As the liquid above the tailings clarifies, it is Q l V1,081,515

decanted through pipes 27', 2S and 29 progressively and conducted to zinc shaving boxes, and at the same time the liquid which has passed through'the filter into the chamber 11, is drawn oli through pipe 24 and also conductedA to the zinc shaving boxes. The precipitation of the solids in suspension may be accelerated by the' application of alum, or other like chemical, and thus hast-en the filtration and decantation of the solution. The solvent containing the valuesghaving been drawn off, the tailings in the tank held in suspension in the tailings, by closing the several decant-ing pipes 27', 28 and 29 'and supplying water to the tank. It Awill also be'ound advantageous t-o connect' the pipe 24 to a pump and exhaust the air from chamber 11 thereby filtering under a vacuum and drawing the solvent freighted with values through the tailings contained in the cates that the tailings in the tank have been sufficiently drained, either in the first passage ofthe solvent and the values, or 1n valve 25 in pipe 24 is closed, the valve 21 opened, by withdrawing bolt 23, after which ofth'e shaft 16, .wheel 19 and cables or chains 19', when the tailings flow out through the ch-amber 11, and conduit 27.

the subsequent cleansing of the latter by a stream of water, as there are/no sharp angles for the tailings to.lodge upon. I

It is obvious that changes' in details of iilterin forming an annular filter chamber between said wallsa a'convergmg-perforated bottom,

' a filtering bottom above said perforated bot- .the valve 14 is lowered through the mediumtrcm tailings, comprising an outer impe'r-I may be washed for the recovery of the values tank. When the discharge pipe 24 indi-v subsequent washings of the tailings, the

The flow of the tailings may be accelerated l. by turning a. stream of water into the tank ..110 charge 'of the tailings from thc tank, and

construction may be made without departing from the spirit' of my inventionfonexample" media, other than' that 'shown may be empoyed by placing itupon theforaini- 7. nous bottom 5, or a. bottom'of porous filtering material may be used. Having thus fully described my invention, g v

i. A settling fan-k .fo'r @eating-Pulp {ln-1.

tom, a filterchamber formed by said bottoms, a converging solid bottom, a filtered liquid chamberbetween said perforated and said solid bottom, means of communication.

between said-annular filter chamber and the latter vliquid chamber, a discharge passage in the center of the tank, a valve controlling said passage fordischarging tailings, means extending through the annular filter chamber for decanting clarified'liquid above the tailings, and means for drawingod filtered liquid below the tailings.

2. A settling tank for treat-ing pulp and separating a solution containing values fromthe tailings, provided lwith a concentric filter Wall anannular filter chamber, a converging filter in the bottom of the tank, a liquid receptacle below said chamber and filter,

means of communication between the filter chamber and the liquid receptacle, means for decanting liquid from the tank above the tailings progressively, neans for drawing oft' filtered liquid belowthe tailings, a converging bottom and means for discharging the tailings through the center of the bottom of the tank by gravity.

3. A settling tank for treating pulp and separating a solution containing values from the tailings, provided witha converging filter bottom,`,and an extension forming-a filtered liquid receptacle between said bottoni and said extension, a concentrically arranged'valvc in saidn filter bottom, means for drawing clarified liquid containing values from above and below the tailings, and a discharge valve in said extension for discharging tailings.

4. A settling tank for the purpose dcscribed, provided with a converging filtering bottom, a concentrieally arranged valve in said bottom, a conical extension beyond said bottom provided with a valve whose area is equal to the area of its discharge opening for discharging tailings from the tank through said extension, and a movable support for the latter valve.

A. tankfor the purpose described having a filtering bottom converging toward its center and provided with a concentrically arranged discharge passage, a valve controlling said passage, a filtered liquid rcceptacle below said bottom having a central discharge passage and a valve controlling the latter passage.

G. A tank for the purpose described, having a ltering bottom inclined toward its center and provided with a concentrically 'arranged discharge passage, a concentrically arranged support for said bottom, a liquid receptacle below said bottom having a concentrically arranged discharge passage, and a slidable support for the latter valve.

7. A tank forthe purpose described, having an annular filter chamber adjacent to its wall, a filter on its bottom, a liquid receptacle having inner and outer walls be.- lowsaid filters, means of communication between said filters and said receptacle, and means for discharging the tailings through said inner and outer walls of said liquid receptacle.

8. A tank for the purpose described having a converging foraminous bottom, a filtering medium supported on said bottom, an annular filtering chamber adjacent to the wall of the tank, a liquid chamber belopy said bottom and said annular filter chamber and adapted to receive liquid filtered through said bottom and said annular filter chamber, means for decanting liquid above theI tailings, means for drawing ofi' filtered liquid from said filter chamber, a discharge opening and a valve in the center of the foraminous bottom.

9. A tank for the purpose described provided with a concentric filtering wall. an annular chamber surroundingsaid wall, a foraminous bottom, a filtering medium and members above said bottom forming a plurality of chambers between said medium and said bottom, means for der-anfing unfiltered liquid, means for drawing ol fiitered liquid and means for discharging tailings by gravity.

,In testimony whereof l affix my signature. in presence of two witnesses. ng DAVID C. REINOI-IL.

iVitnesses lV. Panni-:1: lirzrxour., FRANCIS A. RETNOHL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five lcents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C." 

